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'UNrTED STATES IIILEN O. OROVELL, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ED\VRD D. A

PATENTl OFFICE.

SCHMITT, OF SAME PLACE.

FRICTION-CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,429, dated December 15, 1891.

Application filed October 16, 1888. Serial No. 288,872. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that l, HILEN C. CROWELL. a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, 1n the county of Erie and State of Pennsyl- Vania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inA F`riction-Olutches and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which 1t appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification.

My invention consists in the improvements in friction-clutches hereinafter set forth and described, and illustrated in the accompany- 1n g drawings, in' which- Figure l is an end elevation of a frictionclutch embodying my invention with one of the outer jaws removed therefrom. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal. central section of same on the line ,e .e in Fig. l. 4 Fig. 3 is a cross-section of one of the clutch-arms on theline in Figs. l and 2, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. et is a cross-section of one of the clutcharms on the line y y in Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Like letters refer to likel parts in all the figures.

In the'eonstruction of my invention shown, A is a pulley having an annular flange B thereon, the hub O of the pulley being adapted to turn freely upon the shaft D. On the shaft D, at one end of the pulley A, is secured a hub the web d openings e and f are made, the opening e for the double cam I and the opening f for the clutch actuating and adjusting mechanism J.

Radially through the center of the webct I bore a shaft-opening o', in which is mounted a radial shaft K, to which the double-cam I and the actuating-lever and adjusting mechanism J are secured. Ou the inner facesof the arms L of the clutch-jaws G and H, I cut grooves l, adapted to engage withA opposite edges of the doublecam I when in place. On the lower end of the shaft K, I secure an arm N, the

outer end of which curves downward so as to engage with one arm M of the bell-crauk-actuating lever M, the lever being firmly secured to the shaft, while the bell-crank lever`M is loose thereon. Through the end of the arm N an adjusting-screw passes into the arm m of the lever M, so that the bell-cranklever M can be adjusted at any desired point. To the opposite arm n of the bell-crank lever M, I

shown) operates, these parts being of usual and ordinary construction.

In operation the movement of the sleeve Q toward the pulley A operates upon the link` O and bell-crank lever M to rotate the radial shaft K, and with it the double cam I, which movement of the cam I moves the clutch-jaw G inward and the clutch-jaw H outward, so as to compress the friction-surfaces g and h of these jaws firmly against the inner and outer surfaces of the annular flange B, and the reverse movement of the sleeve Q rotates the shaft K and its cam I inthe opposite direction, which operates to move the jaws G and H apart by a positive movement. A

The adjusting mechanism .l is so constructed and located that it can only be operated when the jaws G and I-I are closed upon the annular liange B, the adjusting mechanism being then in the position shown by the dofted lines in Fig. 4. The set-screw p is then accessible and can be tightened or loosened, so as to adjust the grip of the clutchsurfaces g and h upon the ring B at pleasure.

Before my invention4 clutches were known IOO in which radially-moving members provided the construction is simplified and its capacity for durability is increased. The double cam I, constituting a collar or ring, may be in one piece with or made separate from the shaft K and made fast thereto in any suitable manner, the opposite faces of said ring, which form the bearing-faces of the cam, being parallel with each other, so as to positively insure a corresponding movement of the two jaws in opposite directions. W`hen thus constructed, also the pitch of the cam-surfaces may be reduced to any desired extent Without reducing the thickness of the collar, thereby increasing` the power of the clutchwithout weakening the strength of the connection, whereas with the screw-thread it is obvious that it is impracticable to thicken the screwthreads beyond a certain thickness without increasing the pitch of the screw. In addition, the provision on each jaw for connection with the double cam is simple, and if necessary the bearing-surfaces on each jaw above and below the cam might readily be made adjustable to and from each other to take up any wear and prevent looseness in the jointarfeature which it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to employ in connection with the screw-thread.

It is desirable thata slight movement of the shaft K shall be sufficient to operate the jaws.

In practice I do not intend to move it more than about one-fourth turn. The double cam I should therefore be regulated so as to secure by this movement 'sufficient clearance bef tween the jaws and the flange, and I have dial members provided with jaws adapted to grip a flange cylindrical to the shaft and mounted upon a clutch-arm,the combination, with a radial shaft mounted and rotatable in the clutch-arm, of a ring fast on said radial shaft, having the planes of its faces inclined to the axis of said radial shaft andengaging at its periphery said clutch members, and devices whereby said radial shaft may be rebell-cranklevers, and adjusting-screws operating between said levers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Ina friction-.clatch-jaw-actuating mechanism, the combination of a radial shafthaving a double cam engaging with the jaw-arms, a bell-crank lever mounted loosely on the inner end of said shaft, a link pivoted to one arm of said bell-cran k lever, and athrust-link pivoted to the opposite end of the link with a fixed arm secured to said shaft, so as to engage with the other arm of said bell-crank lever, and adjust-ing mechanism between said arms, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4.' In a friction-clutch having reversely-movable jaws G and H, a radial shaft K, having a double cam I'thereon engaging with grooves Zon the inner faces of the jaw-arms, in combination with a fixed arm N on said shaft, a bell-crank lever M, loosely mounted on said shaft, and an adjusting-screw p, substantially as and for the purpose set'forth.

5. In a frictionclntch'adj usting mechanism, the radial shaft K, having the reverse cam I thereon, in combination with the fixed arm N and the loose bell-crank-lever mech- .anism M on said shaft and adjusting-screws p between said arm and lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereofIaflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HILEN C. CROWELL.

Witnesses:

GEO. MARVIN, J. C. CASTLE.

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